CRIMINAL ANIMALS 
329 
being outlawed from society, revenge themselves by 
the indulgence of their criminal bent. 
Instances of this homicidal mania among the 
animals at the Zoo are by no means common. The 
tact and good management which prevails in all the 
dealings of the keepers with their charges is largely 
responsible for this. But one unquestionable example 
of this type of animal aberration occurred some years 
ago, which might have had very serious consequences. 
The temper of all the wild asses is very uncertain, 
or rather very unreliable. This natural surliness 
took the form of absolute ferocity in the case of a 
very fine male zebra. The object of its especial 
dislike was not so much the occasional visitors to its 
stable, as the keeper whose duty was to feed it and 
arrange its stable. The viciousness was such that it 
would endeavour to climb the railings of its loose box 
in order to attack them. There was absolutely no 
ground for this animosity, for it had met with the 
same kind treatment and attention as the other 
creatures in the stalls. It was clearly a case of the 
“ criminal instinct ” prevailing. One Sunday morning, 
a Frenchman who had some work to do in the Zebra 
House accidentally left open the door which led into 
the box of this striped savage, and when another 
keeper advanced to drive it back it rushed at him 
open-mouthed, knocked him down, knelt on him, and 
would most probably have killed or maimed him if 
it had not been driven off by some of his fellow 
employes who most fortunately came to the rescue. 
